Howard County baseball season recap

Howard County baseball season recap [Video]

Baseball reporter Andrew Conrad breaks down the 2014 Howard County baseball season from the state championship Reservoir Gators to the area private school teams. (Jon Sham & Anastasia Champ/Baltimore Sun video)

Baseball reporter Andrew Conrad breaks down the 2014 Howard County baseball season from the state championship Reservoir Gators to the area private school teams. (Jon Sham & Anastasia Champ/Baltimore Sun video)

The 2014 Maryland high school baseball season will be remembered as the spring Howard County earned its place back on the state map.

Atholton, led by senior center-fielder Brady Acker, finished the regular season undefeated to win its second consecutive county championship.

Reservoir, led by junior ace Cody Morris, lost only once during the regular season — to the Raiders coming out of spring break — but went on a memorable playoff run to win the 3A state championship. The Gators defeated North Harford behind a masterful pitching performance by Morris in the state final to become Howard County's first state champion in five years.

Morris, who has committed to play for the University of South Carolina, was 8-1 with a sub-0.90 ERA, 89 strikeouts and 14 walks, and earned his third consecutive Howard County Pitcher of the Year award.

Acker, a first-team selection in 2012 and 2013, was named the Player of the Year after batting .541 (33/61) with 36 runs, 22 RBIs, 10 doubles, 2 triples and 4 home runs (.967 slugging) with 20 walks (.659 on-base percentage) and 9 stolen bases. He will play for George Mason next year.

Marriotts Ridge, led by senior shortstop Jake Bender; Mt. Hebron, led by senior catcher Paul Lutchenkov; and Howard, led by junior first baseman James Cain, also had outstanding seasons.

For more on those storylines and ones involving some of the county’s other squads, check out the video above.